Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-02-03
DID NOT SUPPRESS 1T.
why Lincoln's War Minister Did Not
suppress a Paper During the
Rebellion.

Rebellion.
Mr. William NJ. Sngerly, editor and
proprietor of the Philadelphia Record,
who divides with Mr.. George W. Childs,
editor and proprietor of the Philadelphia
Ledger, the respect and regard OF the
city of Philadelphia, will soon be the
owner of the fastest steel steam yacht
in the United States. 1t is now being
completed at Chester by the best build
ers there. Mr.. Childs has never owned
Yacht But then Mr. Singerly owns
several other things that Mr., Childs has
never had Both are alike however, in
that each controls II great independent
newspaper. that neither will accept
office and that each has had n station
named after him on the new Baltimore
and Ohio line into Philadelphia. Their
paper mills are near these stations.
The Ledger does not use rs much paper
nowadays as the Record The latter
has quietly won q circulation of upwards
of 10000 daily, except Saturday, when
100000 copies of the eight-page double
sheet are sold for one cent piece.
This circulation is the growth of only
seven years, and that in conservative
Philadelphia, too.
Speaking of the Ledger reminds me
of a story General Simon Cameron used
TO tell. ''When / was in Washington
during the war; he said, "AIr. George
W. Childs, of Philadelphia, called on
me one day and asked me whether |
had any objection TO his purchasing the
Philadelphia Ledger. l said that had
none in the world and then asked him
why he came to me with such a ques-
ton. He said that Mr. Swain, the own
er of the Ledger, had made my consent
an absolute condition of the sale of the
Ledger. which Mr. Childs was then try
ing to negotiate. / said | did not
understand that at all; that | had no
interest at any time in the Ledger, or SO
far as | knew in any other enterprise of
Mr.. Swain. In fact | hardly knew Mr..
Swain except by reputation. However,
repeated / had and could have no OBJ
lection whatever to Mr. Swain's doing
anything that he pleased with his own
property. | offered to put this statement
IN writing. seeing that Childs was not
quite satisfied No, he said, Mr.. Swain
wanted the assurance from my own
lips, and he would like to know whether
l would soon be in Philadelphia. 1t
happened that i was to be in Philadel-
phia shortly and / said so. With that
MIR Childs departed. When | went to
Philadelphia Mr.. Swain called on me
and asked me whether | had any OBJ
lection to his selling the Ledger to Mr..
Childs. None in the world" ! said to
him as | had to Mr.. Childs himself;
but why do you ask my CONSENT"
do you remember said he, find
ing communication on your desk one
morning, when you was secretary of
war, from Secretary Seward directing
the suppression of the Baltimore Sun
for alleged reasonable utterancesP'
Yes, | said; hut how did you know
about that? 1t was confidential Never
mind, he said. i did know about it,
and did know that it was never exc
cuted because YOU laid the matter before
President Lincoln and brought him to
the conclusion to which you had your
self come, that it was unjust Well, |
was part owner in the Baltimore san.
II you had suppressed the sun Just at
that time it would have ruined me- /
made up my mind that no one should
ever get hold OF tie Ledger who would
be likely to use it to iniure YOU And
that IS why wanted to know whether
you mad amy objection to Mr. Childs:
because il YOU have. he can have the
Aedyer told him had no objection
m the world 10 Mr.. Childs, and shortly
afterWard the sale was consummated.
remember rs though it had been yester-
Gay the morning when | found on my
ueeh at the war department the letter
rom Seward directing the suppression
OF the Baltimore Sun for publishing
editorials alleged to be seditious in
tone / sal down and actually wrote an
order to iHa general in command al
baltimore. directing him 10 carry out
lAe 'laetoi tue secretary OF state. Then
telo2Fo1 to tIlnk ] remembered that
Ihad once owned a newspaper. htlle
one to be sure but it was all had,
ana ! said % myself, What would have
2eaone ot you if your newspaper had
9eeh suppressed upon the arbitrary or
NeE oI some cabinet officer based on his
own construction Of your editorial utter
"hcess As | sat thinking tore up the
oroer l had written Then / went
over % the White House, and showing
ec"aras letter to the president. told
I'm That | thought the course it sur-
55sled would be arbitrary and unjust.
ray no attention to it, lie said. and |
went back to the war department and
gl,.5e9n-holed it in my own desk.",-
"asAngto9 Capital.